The Stepdaughter
The Stepdaughter is one of the seven actresses from Märchen and the heroine of the fifth track of the album, Sei to Shi wo Wakatsu Kyoukai no Furuido. She was forced to spin thread right beside a well by her stepmother and injured herself with the spindle. She intended to wash off the bloodstains on the spindle, yet ultimately dropped the offending object into the well. Her attempts to recover it set into motion a series of extraordinary events that would eventually lead to her going home covered in gold. On the other hand, her stepsister, who attempted to replicate the same feat, was rewarded with pitch for all her efforts, thus completing the heroine's revenge. Her story was based upon the Grimms' fairytale, Mother Hulda. Her vocals were provided by Ceui. Appearance Having grown up in what presumably was a peasant family, the stepdaughter's outfit consists of an apron draped over a simple, light-green dress, its edges lined with a checkered pattern. Her hair is tied into two braids and held in place with a green ribbon. She is usually seen with a broom in hand. Role Life after her father's death Her father was a sailor, yet inexplicably met his end at the bottom of a well. She was left with a spiteful stepmother and a stepsister, who forced her to work from dawn to dusk. The thought of her father and her determination to work as hard as she could were the only things that kept her going. Despite her reluctance to approach wells due to the manner of her father's death, she was made to spin thread beside the well. In the process, she scratched her fingertips and stained the spindle red with her own blood. Hoping to wash off the stains, she approached the well. However, her actions resulted in the spindle being dropped into the depths of the well. She was berated by her stepmother and stepsister, and, under the threat of going without dinner, she decided to jump into the well in an attempt to recover the spindle. Within the ancient well Like the seven other actresses, she was approached by Märchen von Friedhof after her death and offered a chance at revenge. However, the conductor's words indicated a certain degree of hesitance on her part. Instead of immediately setting upon revenge, he allowed her some time to gather her thoughts. She found herself lying on grassy plains, surrounded by thousands of flowers. Though initially confused by the sudden change of environment, she quickly regained her good spirits and decided to do her best no matter what circumstances may befall her. She found herself accosted by toasted bread and ripe apples, both of which request her assistance. She complied, taking the bread out of the oven and shaking the apples down. Her actions were observed by Mother Holle, who commended her for her hardworking nature and offered her the position of assistant, promising her happiness if she were to put in good effort. As part of her new job, she shook up feather blankets to cause snowfalls. This phenomenon is in accordance with the original legend of Mother Holle, as it was said that "Holle is making her bed when it snows". The stepdaughter was delighted with her newfound occupation, and though Mother Holle lightly admonished her for being overtly audacious, the older woman commended the stepdaughter for her efforts. Mother Holle granted the stepdaughter's wish, sending the girl home covered in gold. Revenge The stepdaughter returned from the well with gold, stating that she no longer had to do her chores anymore. Her stepmother encouraged her stepsister to replicate her actions, presumably hoping to be rewarded with gold as well. However, due to the stepsister's lazy and idle nature, Mother Holle sent her back covered in pitch instead of gold, and thus the stepdaughter attained her revenge. Category:Theatrical Heroes Category:Fantasy Heroes Category:Female Category:Deceased Category:Nameless